Roma tomato
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| Roma | |
|---|---|
 Roma Tomatoes |
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| Stats | |
| Maturity | 75 days |
| Type | open-pollinated |
| Vine | determinate |
| Plant height | 4 feet |
| Fruit Weight | 4 oz |
| Leaf | regular leaf
HI |
| Resist. | V, F |
| Color | Red (pink) |
| Shape | Plum |
Roma tomato or Roma (the "Roma VF" variant is most common in seed catalogs as of 2007) was developed by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists in Beltsville, MD (Chronica Horticulture Vol 50, No. 3, 2010) in the 1950s as a fusarium wilt-resistant cultivar. Roma is a plum tomato that is commonly found in supermarkets. The tomato is a meaty, egg- or pear-shaped tomato that is available in red and yellow. It has few seeds and is a good canning and sauce tomato. While Roma is an open-pollinated variety, in general it is not considered an heirloom tomato. Roma tomatoes are also known as Italian tomatoes or Italian plum tomatoes.[1]
Roma tomatoes are grown in the United States, Mexico, Australia, and Great Britain. The vines are purple and fruit heavily, making Roma a popular variety with gardeners who do a lot of home canning. While Roma is an open-pollinated variety rather than a hybrid, it has been steadily improved to the point where most Roma tomato vines are fusarium wilt and verticillium-resistant (thus the VF in the name). Most commercial plum tomatoes sold in markets in the Western Hemisphere are Romas or related types. Smaller plum-shaped tomatoes are sometimes sold as "baby Romas".
A smaller relative known as "Windowbox Roma" is sold as a tomato suitable for window gardens and hanging containers.
Roma tomatoes are particularly popular in the golden horseshoe region of Ontario, Canada.
